Many educational institutions face student retention issues, with growing pressure to ensure students remain engaged and supported. When students feel connected to their learning environment, they’re far more likely to stay on track. Yet, how can you foster this connection and provide the necessary support?
Student retention software is one tool designed to identify at-risk students and promote engagement. These digital platforms can improve outcomes for students and schools. Whether you’re wondering which software offers the best value for improving student retention rates or are simply exploring options, several tools are available to help educators reach their goals.
1. Watermark Insights
Watermark Insights is one of the best software for improving student retention rates and success. Central to its offerings is the Student Success & Engagement (SS&E) platform. This software integrates with existing Student Information Systems (SIS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS), ensuring data consistency and streamlining essential processes.
It also has predictive analytics capabilities. Watermark’s SS&E can identify students at risk of falling behind so advisors can intervene accordingly. Early alerts and AI-powered tools further assist in keeping students engaged, helping increase retention rates by 6% in the first year.
Many institutions prioritize affordability, and Watermark addresses this through its Subscription Services packages. These packages provide ongoing access to training and consultation services, ensuring educators can maximize their investment. Through its structured support and resources, Watermark helps educational facilities implement and maintain student success initiatives.
2. Blackboard Learn
Blackboard Learn is a learning management system (LMS) that can enhance teaching and student engagement. With its tools, the platform helps instructors create a personalized learning experience that supports retention efforts.
Blackboard’s main focus is on accessibility and inclusivity. It gives students easy access to their courses and resources anytime, anywhere. This functionality is possible through the mobile app, which ensures students stay connected with their academic responsibilities on the go. Whether through live notifications about assignments or access to discussion boards, Blackboard keeps students actively engaged in their learning environment.
In addition to its accessibility, Blackboard offers detailed data and analytics. These tools allow you to monitor student progress and make data-driven decisions to provide timely support. Tracking trends and individual performance is critical in early intervention. Institutions with these capabilities can use this information to devise retention strategies.
3. Jenzabar Retention
Jenzabar Retention is a student success system that consolidates data from various campus sources to provide a detailed view of each student. This information includes academic performance, extracurricular involvement, financial aid status and demographics.
What makes it one of best software for improving student retention rates is its predictive modeling, which reflects the characteristics of the student body. By leveraging this functionality, you can determine a student’s probability of persistence and develop targeted interventions. This approach allows educators to address academic, social or emotional challenges that may impede a student’s progress.
Another beneficial part of it is its integration of e-learning tools. The system supports online course delivery that adapts to student’s needs, helping them remain engaged in person or remotely.
Through its intuitive interface, Jenzabar Retention enables you to incorporate multimedia elements, such as videos, interactive quizzes and discussion forums. These features enhance student engagement by creating an immersive and collaborative environment. Additionally, the platform supports real-time feedback and communication, allowing instructors to provide personalized support to maintain student motivation.
4. E2s Retain
Engage2Serve’s e2s Retain is a customer relationship management (CRM) that provides institutions with a 360-degree view of students. This integrated platform offers on-demand access to critical data, enabling staff to monitor and improve student engagement.
A key feature is its early alert system, which facilitates the timely identification of at-risk students. This data enables staff to investigate and intervene, guiding students back on track.
The platform also supports personalized communication through persona-based engagement tools. Institutions can create custom student personas and send targeted messages to specific groups. This keeps communication relevant, enhancing outreach and connection between students and educators.
To further support student success, e2s Retain offers a case management system. This feature allows campus stakeholders to create and manage cases for students facing challenges. By tracking these cases, staff can provide continuous support and help students overcome obstacles.
5. Navigate360
EAB’s Navigate360 is a CRM platform created to support recruiting and retaining students. Trusted by over 850 institutions and serving over 10 million students, Navigate360 offers tools to enable collaboration among administrators, faculty, staff and students.
Navigate360 streamlines administrative tasks, allowing staff to focus more on student engagement. Features such as student profiles, coordinated care networks, case management and automated alerts enhance student support.
The platform also provides a centralized hub where students can access essential resources, schedule appointments and receive important notifications. Pupils can even engage with their support network, and all of these features are accessible through a user-friendly mobile app.
Additionally, the platform incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize various functions. For instance, the Message Content Advisor assists staff in creating effective communications, while the Knowledge Bot provides students with quick access to support and information.
6. Starfish
EAB’s Starfish student success platform works by providing actionable insights into student data. Higher education institutions can use it to identify individuals at risk of falling behind and implement supportive strategies. Faculty and staff can receive notifications through its early-alert system. This alert functionality flags students when exhibiting signs of academic challenges, prompting support by connecting students with campus resources.
Starfish also facilitates appointment scheduling and case management. The platform streamlines these tasks, making it easier for students to access advising and support services. Starfish ensures students receive assistance by coordinating care across departments.
Another strong feature of Starfish is its analytics tools. The platform helps institutions monitor student progress to assess support initiatives. These insights enable data-driven decision-making, helping colleges and universities refine their strategies for better service.
Lastly, Starfish offers degree planning. With these capabilities, the platform can guide students in mapping out their academic pathways. The software provides off-track notifications, alerting advisors of students when deviations occur.
7. Ellucian
Ellucian offers a suite of solutions for student retention and success. For instance, CRM Advise enhances student retention by providing individualized advising strategies. It enables institutions to monitor student performance, identify challenges and implement timely interventions.
Another tool it offers is Degree Audit & Planning. This platform is an academic audit and planning solution that helps students map their educational journey. By providing clear pathways to graduation, it ensures students are aware of their progress and remaining requirements.
Ellucian also offers a CRM Recruit tool. This software provides prospective students with a personalized experience, helping you exceed student recruitment and enrollment goals. With a streamlined recruitment process, institutions can build a strong foundation for student success.
8. Modern Campus
Another option that makes it the best software for improving student retention rates is Modern Campus. This suite of solutions enhances student engagement, streamlines administrative processes and improves retention rates in higher education.
One platform it offers is for student engagement and learning. It helps you improve the educational experience by encouraging pupils to participate in activities and organizations. The tools support this by providing event management, skill tracking and assessment of learning outcomes.
The software also provides a tool known as Modern Campus Message. Previously called Signal Vine, Message is an easy-to-use conversational texting platform to help students stay informed. Academic advisors, student success teams and financial aid offices use Message to keep pupils on track by delivering targeted communications.
9. Skyward SIS
Skyward’s Student Information System makes K-12 school management smoother by integrating various administrative and educational processes. It centralizes student data and facilitates efficient communication among educators, students and parents. Because of this, Skyward SIS can enhance the overall educational experience and support student success.
For office administration, Skyward SIS automates tasks such as enrollment, scheduling, attendance tracking and report generation. This automation reduces manual workloads, allowing staff to focus on more strategic initiatives.
The SIS also offers classroom tools to educators. This means they can access digital grade books, assignment tracking and communication. These features facilitate efficient classroom management and provide live insights into student performance, enabling timely interventions when necessary.
Through the Family Access portal, parents and guardians can monitor their child’s academic progress, attendance records and upcoming assignments. This clarity creates stronger collaboration between home and school, encouraging parental involvement in students’ learning.
Which Software Offers the Best Value for Improving Student Retention Rates?
When improving student retention rates, the right software can make a big difference. Each platform offers features to meet specific institutional needs.
Ultimately, the best value depends on your institution’s priorities. Evaluate the ones that align with your institution’s goals. Whether that’s affordability, scalability or advanced features, numerous tools can offer what is most essential and support educational facilities in their engagement endeavors.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
